Main water supply

[Ralph A. Schade]

Could I get some comments on this main water supply please and how you would write it up?

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

What are you seeing as an issue? What is it you feel needs to be called out? Tell us what is in your head, before we jump in and start trying to guess what is in your head, or just flat out tell you what we see.

"Help us, help you"... Unknown

"One will never learn for oneself, if we keep giving you the answer"... Unknown's brother

[Ralph A. Schade]

..some more pics

[Ralph A. Schade]

A competitor has called this out by telling his clients that because it's exposed to potential mechanical damage (walking into it) that it should be replaced to prevent catastrophic flooding. Listing agent has called me for advice.

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Question...

In the different pics, it looks as if two different colors of piping... clear and gray. Is this correct or just a figment of the lighting for the pictutres. Are the marking the same, or different?

[Ralph A. Schade]

I believe it's the same. I had asked the agent to get me pics of the labelling on the pipe.

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Originally Posted by rschade

A competitor has called this out by telling his clients that because it's exposed to potential mechanical damage (walking into it) that it should be replaced to prevent catastrophic flooding. Listing agent has called me for advice.

See... I would have never guessed that as an issue by your first post.

If it is an issue by your local AHJ, did they get a permit for the plumbing work, and was the final inspection performed? If no permit was obtained, guess what? The realtor and seller just inherited a bigger nightmare!

If not an issue by AHJ, and the piping is truely a hazard, have a chase or cabinet built around it, if it is not feasible to relocate it.

Also, I would have preferred that the piping went through a sleeve where it penetrates the masonry wall, but again, what does the AHJ say about it in your area?

[Ralph A. Schade]

..2 more pics

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Okay... am I to take it that those pics are of the water service entering the home, and not the water supply which distributes it throughout the home??? Also, the pics are of the same pipe, on either side of the same wall???

[Ralph A. Schade]

Thank you Jeffrey. I feel that the competitor's reporting was a little over the top and alarmist. Before I recieved the labeling I had thought it was PB. Are you aware of any issues with the fittings?

[Ralph A. Schade]

I'm informed that it is the main water supply entering the home. I'm not sure about the location of the plumbing in the other pics.

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Originally Posted by rschade

I'm informed that it is the main water supply entering the home. I'm not sure about the location of the plumbing in the other pics.

If this is the main water service that enter's the home, I would also be very concerned. I would also write it up "hard". Without seeing what the other inspector wrote, I would say he is right on the money. A chase or cabinet may still work, but it would have to be a "permanently constructed" unit, and have an access door to it. I am unsure if a service line is allowed to be in sections, such as shown. I would also want to see where it is connected to the actual line from the street. You may only be seeing the "Tip-of-the-Iceberg"!

On a side note: I also have concerns when I see "plastic" piping and ground wires on copper tubing. What happened and when, and was the grounding issue taken care of properly???

"Nothing is as simple as it ever seems"... Unknowns long lost cousin.

[Gary D. Rowden]

Originally Posted by rschade

Could I get some comments on this main water supply please and how you would write it up?

The 2 types of plumbing I see is Cross-linked Polyethylene (PEX) and there appears to be Polybutylene in the back ground of second picture.

[Gary D. Rowden]

Originally Posted by rschade

A competitor has called this out by telling his clients that because it's exposed to potential mechanical damage (walking into it) that it should be replaced to prevent catastrophic flooding. Listing agent has called me for advice.

From what I gather from viewing photos I agree and would also recommend replaced of all Polybutylene.

[Robert J. OConnor]

I would suspect that the plastic pipe is the main distribution pipe, and not the service pipe from the street ... but hey, I have seen stranger things.

Most of the plastic pipe appears to be PEX. The darker gray pipe may or may not be PB (have to check the markings). But all the connections appear to be modern expanding ring PEX fittings. I do agree that the exposed pipe in the finished area needs protection as a minimum.

Best thing to do is call in a licensed plumber for a specialist's opinion.

JMO & 2-Nickels ...